Tech companies are using robotics to stop the spread of Zika

American technology companies are updating the fly swatter by replacing it with robotics that target mosquitoes carrying the Zika virus.

Companies like Microsoft and Verily are hoping to stop the spread of Zika by partnering with public health officials in multiple states to develop new tools to fight potential outbreaks. Microsoft is currently testing a smart trap to capture known Zika-carrying mosquitos, and Verily is developing a method to quickly sterilize male mosquitos.

"It's exciting when technology companies come on board," said Anandasankar Ray, an associate professor of entomology at the University of California, Riverside. "Their approach to a biological challenge is to engineer a solution."